Well-loved creamy potato bake with some added aromatics
Any time of year is a good time for potato gratin dauphinoise, but during the festive season is when you can really indulge in this wonderful creamy decadent dish, enjoying its full ability to perform as the ultimate comfort food.
Traditionally thinly sliced potatoes are cooked into a milk and cream mixture with a touch of garlic and sometimes cheese. This vamped-up version includes sauteed leeks, fresh rosemary, sage, parmesan cheese, dijon mustard, lemon rind and a little miso. Full of flaevor and a very exciting side dish.
How to make Festive Gratin Dauphinoise
With a little careful preparation the potatoes roast peacefully for an hour and 15 minutes which means you have time to relax or continue with other cooking preparations. Below is a step-by-step guide for getting your gratin nicely set and ready to roast.
Leek and Potato Gratin
Leek and potato are a favourite combination for a gratin and it’s very simple to do. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, peel and thinly slice your potatoes. Remove the green ends of the leeks, slice in half lengthways, then slice again into thin strips. Clean, sautee the leeks and set aside with the potato slices.
Creamy bechamel sauce for potato gratin
Instead of using cream and cheese, a roux of butter and flour is combined with milk and cream to make a rich thick bechamel sauce. The rest of the ingredients including lemon, rosemary, sage and parmesan are whisked through.
Finding the sauce
The potatoes and leeks are then added to the bechamel, coating each piece nicely and then gently heating through. Pre-warming the potatoes in the bechamel before transferring them to the oven for roasting aids in even cooking.
Perfectly roasted potato gratin dauphinoise
The final step is to transfer the grain to a well-greased baking dish, then roast in the oven for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes until bubbling and deliciously golden on top. Roasting time can vary depending on the thickness of your potato and oven temperatures.
Finishing touches
To finish your gratin before serving, simply fry some sage leaves in a generous amount of butter until crispy. Use the melted butter from the frying pan to brush over the top of the gratin then garnish with crispy sage leaves. It’s now ready to serve!
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Festive Gratin Dauphinoise
Festive Gratin Dauphinoise with a creamy bechamel sauce infused with lemon, garlic, rosemary, dijon mustard and sage
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 – 6 1x
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Oven Roasting
- Cuisine: European
Ingredients
- 800g potatoes
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 leeks
- 300ml double cream
- 200ml milk
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- Cracked black pepper
- ½ lemon rind
- 1 tbsp dijon
- 2 twigs rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
- 6 Sage leaves, chopped fine
- 6 whole sage leaves for garnish
- 60g parmesan, finely grated
Instructions
- First start by peeling and thinly slicing the potatoes with a mandolin or sharp knife. Soak them in salt water whilst you prepare the other ingredients. The water will help remove starch and the salt will inject added flavour.
- Cut green ends off leeks, half lengthways, and then thinly slice. Wash the leeks and set aside.
- Make the bechamel sauce: Make a roux by melting the butter and then stirring in the flour. When a thick paste has developed, slowly whisk in the milk bit by bit until the mixture is smooth.
- Next, slowly whisk in cream. Once you have a nice thick creamy white sauce, add crushed garlic, miso paste, mustard, lemon rind, parmesan, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Tip: Make sure the sauce is a little more salty than usual as the potatoes really suck in flavour and without enough salt, it can taste bland.
- Add potato slices and leeks to the sauce and toss very well so everything is evenly combined.
- Butter a 2-litre gratin dish. Pour the potato bechamel mixture into the tray and shake a little from side to side to make sure it sits evenly.
- Place a tray or some foil at the bottom of the oven to catch any spillage. Loosely cover the gratin with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. After this time remove the foil completely and bake for another 45 minutes.
- Push a skewer or fork through the gratin that the potatoes are cooked through and very soft. Remove from the oven, cover again with foil and allow to cool for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
- For a nice finish, fry some sage leaves in butter until crispy and layer on top.
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